FELLOWS ELECTED 2024

 (Effective from January 1, 2025)

1. Awasthi, Amit (b 03.07.1977), PhD, Senior Professor, Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad.

Dr Amit Awasthi has done seminal work on Th9 cells in disease biology which is crucial in the field of immunology. It will help to understand pathogenesis of autoimmune, allergic inflammation, and cancer immunity.

2. Banerjee, Anjan Kumar (b 03.01.1968), PhD, Professor and Dean (R&D), Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune.

Dr AK Banerjee has done exemplary work in long-distance macromolecular signaling using potato as model. He has unraveled a new avenue of research in plant-science and made pioneering contributions in the understanding of development and yield in potato.

3. Banerjee, Rahul (b 15.12.1977), PhD, Professor, Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata, Mohanpur.

Dr Rahul Banerjee for his work in the field of nano-materials, particularly for the discovery of covalently bonded porous organic nanotubes (CONTs), highly stable porous covalent organic frameworks, nano-porous materials, and their onboard methane storage applications.

4. Bang, Abhay (b 23.09.1950) Founder-Director, SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health), Gadchiroli, Maharashtra.

Dr Abhay Bang’s journey is deeply rooted in the ethos of Mahatma Gandhi’s Sevagram ashram, where he found inspiration. In 1985, he established SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health) in Maharashtra’s underdeveloped Gadchiroli district. Operating across 150 villages, SEARCH delivers community-based healthcare and conducts ground-breaking research, influencing health policies globally. Dr. Bang’s pioneering work shed light on the hidden burden of gynecological diseases among rural women. His efforts significantly reduced the infant mortality rate. His innovative model, Home-based New-born and Child Care has been adopted nationwide by the Government of India, reaching 11 million rural neonates in 2017 through the dedication of 800,000 ASHAs.

5. Basu, Gautam (b 18.07.1961), PhD, Adjunct Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Kolkata, Nadia.

Prof. Gautam Basu is a biophysical chemist who has made fundamental contributions, both theoretical and experimental, in computational and structural biology. He has identified unique peptide structural motifs in proteins, their stabilization and transitions and their importance to biological functions.

6. Behari, Sanjay (b 27.12.1963), MBBS, MS, Director, Sree Chitra Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram.

Dr Sanjay Behari has made immense contributions to the field of Neurosurgery at regional, national, and international levels. His wrk in the area of treatment of craniovertebral junction anomalies (a condition particularly common in the Indian subcontinent) have yielded meaningful clinical treatment protocols. His work on clinical grading and protocols for the management of craniovertebral tuberculosis are widely cited in international literature. He has also filed for several patents.

7. Bhatla, Neerja (b 02.01.1959), MBBS, MD, Professor & Head, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Dr Neerja Bhatla is an accomplished gynecologist whose work has been focussed on gynecological oncology. She has contributed to better understanding of epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in India, and its relationship with cervical cancer. She led an Indian study whose findings contributed to the recent WHO recommendation of need for only one dose of HPV vaccine in young girls, with a huge impact on public health. In addition, she has worked on validation of indigenous affordable tests for HPV infection, including those that permit self-sampling by patients.

8. Bhattacharya, Dipankar (b 29.05.1959), PhD, Distinguished Professor, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune.

Dr Dipankar Bhattachrya, for understanding how magnetic fields of neutron stars change with time.

9. Bhattacharya, Jayanta (b 07.12.1968), PhD, Dean, Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, Department of Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad.

Dr Jayanta Bhattacharya has made significant contributions to the pathogenesis of HIV infection, which have helped understand key pathways of antibody development in natural infection, which are likely to help guide rational vaccine design and immunoprophylaxis. His works also focused on rapid discovery of neutralizing antibodies and development of human monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and Nipah virus, that have the potential for use in prophylaxis and treatment of these conditions.

10. Chakravorti, Sivaji (b 18.09.1962), PhD, Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

Dr Sivaji Chakravorty for his very significant contributions to the area of fault diagnosis, insulation condition assessment and moisture estimation in solid insulation, and development of non-invasive techniques for health assessment of oil-paper insulation of large electrical equipment with a particular emphasis on transformers.

11. Chandra, Poonam (b 05.11.1975), PhD, Associate Professor (G), National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, TIFR, Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus, Pune.

Dr Poonam Chandra for the discovery of electron cyclotron, maser emmisions in 4 new stars.

12. Chauhan, Santosh (b 30.08.1978), PhD, Senior Principal Scientist (Scientist-F), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.

Dr Santosh Chauhan has discovered novel mechanisms that control inflammation in the human body with biomedical relevance in the context of autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Further, he has emerged as one of the leaders in the field of autophagy.

13. Chhuneja, Parveen (b 25.03.1966), PhD, Principal Molecular Geneticist, School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.

Dr Parveen Chhuneja has made significant contributions for the improvement of modern wheat genotypes for rust existence and heat tolerance which are two major factors impacting wheat productivity. She has released many wheat varieties developed using both traditional and modern breeding tools by using mild species of wheat.

14. Dasgupta, Swagata (b 28.09.1962), PhD, Professor, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur.

Dr Swagta Dasgupta for her seminal contributions in protein chemistry research, especially for pioneering work on polyphenols, protein fibrillation and aggregation, protein nanoparticles and films.

15. De, Sirshendu (b 07.10.1967), PhD, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, Kharagpur.

Dr Sirshendu De for his outstanding innovative contributions in chemical engineering that provided new theoretical insights and led to simultaneous translation into technological applications such as water purification that provided immense benefits for the underprivileged and helped in improving their quality of life.

16. Dey, Abhishek (b 09.07.1977), PhD, Professor, Department of Chemical Science, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science , Kolkata.

Dr Abhishek Dey for his contribution towards the development of new spectroscopic tools to probe reaction mechanisms, particularly in the areas of selective O₂, CO₂, and N₂ reduction.

17. Ella, Krishna M (b 10.07.1955), Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Bharat Biotech International Limited, Hyderabad.

Dr Krishna Ella, a prominent Indian scientist and entrepreneur, leads Bharat Biotech in ground-breaking vaccine development. His achievements include India’s Covaxin, the world’s first clinically proven conjugated Typhoid Vaccine, ROTAVAC, and the first preservative-free vaccine, Revac-B mcf Hepatitis B Vaccine. Bharat Biotech also introduced India’s first cell-cultured Swine Flu vaccine and manufactures the world’s most affordable Hepatitis vaccines. Additionally, they were the first globally to develop a vaccine for the Zika virus.

18. Ghatak, Animangsu (b 07.01.1971), PhD, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, Kanpur.

Dr Animangsu Ghatak For his seminal contributions in advancing the field of surface science of soft materials, including aspects of adhesion, friction, and capillarity, as well as in the understanding of the complex interplay between capillary effects, deformation, and the resulting mechanical instabilities.

19. Ghosh, Ambarish (b 18.12.1973), PhD, Professor, Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Dr Ambarish Ghosh for high quality fundamental research to commercialized technologies.

20. Goenka, Pawan (b 23.09.1954), Chief Operating Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Mumbai.

Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka has retired as the Managing Directorof Mahindra & Mahindra. He is the chairman of SsangYong Motor Company in Korea. He is also currently the Chairman of INSPACE, a part of India’s Space Program. He is also the present Chairman of the Board of Governors of IIT Madras. He is also a national council member of CII.

21. Gopalakrishnan, Senapathy “Kris” (b 05.04.1955) Chairman, Infosys BPO Limited, Bengaluru.

Mr Gopalakrishnan is recognized as a global business and technology thought leader. He is a Co-Founder of Infosys where he served in various capacities for more than a decade. He is presently the President of the Infosys Science Foundation. Mr Gopalakrishnan is the Chairperson of Itihaasa Research and Digital, which publishes the history of the Indian IT industry as “itihaasa” microsite, as well as reports on industrial and academic research in India. Mr Gopalakrishnan invests in promoting research on brain sciences, aging related disorders as well as investing in start-ups and the start-up ecosystems.

22. Goswami, Ravinder (b 03.09.1963), MBBS, MD, DM, Professor, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Dr Ravinder Goswami is a clinical endocrinologist who has been working on vitamin D metabolism and its association with bone diseases, especially in India. This work showed existence of widespread vitamin D deficiency and led to a new proposed supplementation schedule based on several well-planned studies. These data have helped establish the national (ICMR/NIN) standards in this field. In addition, he has worked on understanding the pathogenesis of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, including on demonstration of organ-specific autoimmunity as its cause.

23. Gupta, Arvind (b 04.12.1953) Indian Toy Inventor, Author, Translator and Scientist, 401, Chitrakoot “B” 1065, Gokhale Cross Road, Model Colony, Pune.

Mr Arvind Gupta’s outstanding contribution in designing science teaching aids for young children has been recognized by several international organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, International Toy Research Association, Halmstad University, Boston Science Centre, MIT (Media Lab), Walt Disney Imagineering and Research, Auh of Rehabilitation Centre, Hilpolstien, Germany and the International Play Association, Finland. He has been actively associated with the Bombay Natural History Society, Conservation Society of Delhi, Spastic Society of North India and the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti. He is an advisor to the National Book Trust on popular science books.

24. Haldar, Jayanta (b 28.11.1974), PhD, Professor, New Chemistry Unit and School of Advanced Materials, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru.

Dr Jayanta Haldar, for his outstanding contributions in the field of antimicrobial research, in particular, for the synthesis of peptidomimetic antimicrobial agents, semi-synthetic glycopeptide antibiotics, combination therapy, antimicrobial coatings, injectable sealants for eye and tissue infections.

25. Kakde, Mahesh (b 13.07.1983), PhD, Professor, Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Dr Mahesh Kakde for his resolution of the main conjecture of non-commutative Iwasawa theory for totally real fields and for his resolution of the Gross-Stark and Brumer-Stark conjectures.

26. Kakodkar, Anil (b 11.11.1943), AICTE Distinguished Chair Professor and Chancellor, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai.

Prof. Anil Kakodkar spearheaded India’s journey towards self-reliance in thorium-based nuclear energy, marking a crucial step towards sustainable power generation. He led the design of the Dhruva reactor. His vision includes CILLAGE, a concept for bridging urban-rural gaps through technology-enabled sustainable development. His holistic approach underscores his dedication to shaping a more equitable and prosperous future for all.

27. Kamat, Samir V (b ­­­­­­­­­29.05.1964), Secretary and Chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), New Delhi.

Dr Samir Kamat has provided leadership and direction to several critical materials programmes in DRDO such as the developments of high-strength steels for naval ship hulls, of high-temperature titanium alloys and nickel base superalloy based components for aero engines, of tungsten heavy alloys for kinetic energy penetrators, of fused silica radomes for missile seekers, and of armour solutions for personnel as well as combat vehicles and stealth materials for airborne and naval applications. In addition, he has spearheaded the development of naval systems such as advanced lightweight torpedo, anti-torpedo decoy systems, autonomous underwater vehicles, advanced hull-mounted and towed array sonars for ships, and fuel cells-based air-independent propulsion systems for submarines.

28. Konijeti, Sreenadh (b 02.05.1975), PhD, Institute Chair Professor and HAG, Department of Mathematics , Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi.

Dr. Sreenadh Konijeti for the study of existence, multiplicity and regularity results for partial differential equations involving non-linear source terms and non-local operators.

29. Kumar, Sanjay (b 01.01.1965), PhD, Professor, Department of Physics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.

Dr Sanjay Kumar for understanding of response of polymers under translocation and multigradient fields.

30. Mahalakshmi, Radhakrishnan (b 08.04.1980), PhD, Professor and Wellcome Trust-DBT Senior Fellow, Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal.

Prof. Mahalakshmi has made important contributions to membrane protein biophysics and bioenergetics by mapping structure-function effectors of vital human mitochondrial outermembrane channel VDAC, translocase Tom40, and chaperone Sam50. Her pioneering contributions include developing peptidomimetics as precise indicators of membrane protein aggregation and as therapeutics for mitochondria-triggered cancer and neurodegeneration.

31. Majee, Manoj (b 12.07.1976), PhD, Scientist – V, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi.

Dr Manoj Majee has made excellent contributions in the area of Seed Biology. His research provides novel insights into the role of protein repairing enzymes in enhancing seed viability and storage.

32. Makharia, Govind K (b 10.06.1965), MBBS, MD, DM, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Dr Govind K Makharia has worked extensively on celiac disease in India, contributing to studies on burden of this disease in in India and Asia, helped develop a non-invasive biomarker assay for this disease which has the potential to obviate the need for endoscopy and biopsies for enteropathic diseases. In addition, he has worked on the treatment of intestinal tuberculosis, to demonstrate in a multicenter randomized controlled trial that a 6-month treatment regimen is adequate.

33. Mazumdar-Shaw, Kiran (b 23.03.1953), Executive Chairperson, Biocon & Biocon Biologics Limited, Bengaluru.

Under the leadership of Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biocon India became the first Indian company to manufacture and export enzymes to the U.S. and Europe within a year of its establishment. Through the Biocon Foundation, she extends her impact, spearheading health and education initiatives to uplift economically disadvantaged communities.

34. Mukhopadhyay, Debdeep (b 31.10.1977), PhD, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur, Kharagpur.

Dr Debdeep Mukhopadhyay for his fundamental contributions to cryptography and hardware security. His seminal works on fault attacks and micro-architectural security have exposed practical security issues and helped design stronger variants.

35. Murthy, NRN (b 20.08.1946) Amoghavarsha No 575, 21st Main, 35th Cross 4th T Block Jayanagar, Bengaluru.

Mr NR Narayana Murthy is one of the founder of Infosys and has previously served it in several capacities. Murthy has been listed among the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time by Fortune magazine. He has been described as the “father of the Indian IT sector” by Time magazine and CNBC for his contribution to outsourcing in India. In 2005, he co-chaired the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

36. Murty, Sudha (b 19.08.1950)Former Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, Bengaluru.

Ms Sudha Murty is best known for her contribution on social work & education. She has also well known for her philanthropy and her contribution to literature in Kannada and English. She is the first female engineer hired at India’s largest auto manufacturer TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company. In 1996, she started Infosys Foundation and has been the Trustee of Infosys Foundation. She has written several books which include novels, non-fiction, travelogues, technical books, and memoirs and they have been translated into all major Indian languages.

37. Nagegowda, Dinesh Addihalli (b 21.03.1974), PhD, Chief Scientist & Scientist In-Charge, Professor (AcSIR), CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Centre, Bengaluru.

Dr Dinesh Nagegowda’s research has been focused on uncovering the molecular mechanisms associated with bio-synthesis of phytomolecules through integration of biochemical and molecular approaches combined with metabolomic engineering. His research on secondary plant products has great potential to boost secondary metabolite production through synthetic biology approach.

38. Narayanan, Rishikesh (b 05.06.1974), PhD, Professor, Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Prof. Rishikesh Narayanan has made outstanding contributions to cellular and network neurophysiology that recognize the utilities of complexity in attaining functional robustness using biophysical and computational tools. His work establishes a fundamental framework that exploits ubiquitous, yet structured, plasticity in the heterogeneous brain that manifests degeneracy towards achieving precise function across scales.

39. Nataraj, Neela (b 31.05.1968), PhD, Institute Chair Professor and Dean (Faculty Affairs), Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai.

Dr Neela Nataraj for work on the finite element methods for Kirchoff plate models and Von Karman equations, especially the discontinuous Galerkin method and new penalty method for the fourth order.

40. Nilekani, Nandan Mohanrao (b 02.06.1955), Co-Founder and Chairman, Infosys Technologies Limited, Bengaluru.

Dr Nandan Nilkani was the founding Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and has Co-founded and is the Chairman of Ek Step Foundation, a not-for-profit effort to create a learner-centric, technology-based platform to improve basic literacy and numeracy for millions of children. He won The Economist Social & Economic Innovation Award for his leadership of India’s Unique Identification initiative (Aadhaar). Nandan Nilekani is the author of “Imagining India”, co-authored his second book with Viral Shah, “Rebooting India: Realizing a Billion Aspirations” and co-authored his third book with Tanuj Bhojwani, “The Art of Bitfulness: Keeping Calm in the Digital World”.

41. Patravale, Vandana Bharat (b 21.10.1965), PhD, Professor of Pharmaceutics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai.

Prof. Vandana Patravale has been engaged in pharmacological research leading to translational work on several technologies to products that are in use, including coronary stents based on a biodegradable polymer, and diagnostic kits for detection of Brucella antibodies based on fluorescence silica nanosensors. More recently, she has been working on developing a targeted drug delivery system for malaria and a nasal vaccine against brucellosis for use in animals.

42. Rath, Sankar Prasad (b 03.02.1972), PhD, Professor (HAG), Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur.

Dr SP Rath, for his substantial contributions in biomimetic study of the multiheme proteins primarily modulating structure and properties of the individual heme centre and structure-property correlation.

43. Sahoo, Akhila Kumar (b 18.01.1972), PhD, Professor, School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad.

Dr AK Sahoo for his pioneering contributions to the field of C-H activation by introducing the concept of reusable/transformable directing groups, especially for the design and development of nitrogen, oxygen rich new energetic materials for Defense applications.

44. Sane, Sanjay Prafullachandra (b 12.09.1970), PhD, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru.

Dr SP Sane has made seminal contributions to the biology of insect flight by integrating neural circuitry analysis, biomechanics and sensory physiology.  His work transverses between sophisticated lab-based biology and field-based ecological research. 

45. Saraswat, Vijay Kumar (b 25.05.1949), Former Director General, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Former Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Dr Vijay Kumar Saraswat is the key scientist in the development of the Prithvi missile and its induction into the Indian armed forces. Dr. Saraswat is a forerunner in the development of several critical missile technologies that were under denial due to the Missile Technology Control Regime, thus making India self-reliant in Missile Technologies.

46. Sarma, Vedula Venkata Subrahmanya Srinivasa (b 15.06.1969), PhD, Senior Principal Scientist, CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography, Visakhapatnam.

Dr VVSS Sarma has contributed to the understanding of biogeochemical processes, biological production and biogenic fluxes in the Indian estuaries and surrounding marine regions.

47. Sen, Ellora (b 01.09.1969), PhD, Scientist VI, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar.

Dr Ellora Sen has made important contribution in epigenetics, biochemistry, immunology and cell biology which has provided mechanistic insight into the dynamic interactions between metabolic reprogramming and inflammation.

48. Shasany, Ajit Kumar (b 01.03.1967), PhD, Director, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow.

Dr AK Shasany research developed into sequencing of Ocimum tennuriflorum, commonly known as holy basil and its genes functional characterization unraveling a novel arogenate pathway crucial for scent biosynthesis. Additionally, it elucidated virtual compartmentalization of gene activities with petnia petals and metabolic pathways directing eugenol synthesis of Ocimum. The comprehensive analyses encompassed over 900 plant accessories across various spices   evolutionary connections and marker identification. Additionally, the initiative led the development and the release of 45 varieties with 22 patents.

49. Shukla, Vartika (b 14.02.1966), Chairman & Managing Director, Engineers India Limited (EIL), New Delhi.

Dr Vartika Shukla possesses extensive technical and consulting experience across the hydrocarbon value chain and has led the company to the successful completion of many prestigious projects in the Oil & Gas Refining, Petrochemical, and Fertilizers sectors both in India and overseas. She has been steering several new initiatives of the company in the areas of Bio Fuels, Digitization, Energy Efficiency, Make in India, and Start-up India. Ms. Shukla has made immense contributions to the development of National Policies, especially in the areas of biofuels and future road map for the refining and petrochemical sector.

50. Singh, Amit (b 18.03.1976), PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology of Cell Biology, Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Dr Amit Singh has made fundamental contributions in fundamental understanding of host-pathogen interactions underlying infections caused by human pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). His work led to an understanding of the intricate connection between redox mechanisms conferring drug resistance.

51. Singh, Rajendra (b 06.08.1959),Indian Water Conservationist and Environmentalist, Tarun Bharat Sangh, Mansarover.

Dr Rajendra Singh also known as “waterman of India”, runs the NGO ‘Tarun Bharat Sangha’ (TBS) since 1975. The NGO based in village hori-Bhikampura in Thanagazi tehsil, near Sariska Tiger Reserve, has been instrumental in fighting the slow bureaucracy, mining lobby. It has helped villagers take charge of water management in their semi-arid area through the use of johad, rain water storage tanks, check dams and other time-tested as well as path-breaking techniques. Over the years TBS helped build over 8,600 johads and other water conservation structures to collect rainwater for the dry seasons, has brought water back to over 1,000 villages and revived five rivers in Rajasthan, namely, Arvari, Ruparel, Sarsa, Bhagani and Jahajwali.

52. Sivarajan, Kumar N (b 23.10.1965), Chief Technology Officer, Tejas Networks Ltd., Bengaluru.

Dr KN Sivarajan has several years of experience in the field of electrical communication engineering. Dr Sivarajan worked on optical, wireless and telecommunication networks for ten years in academia and research labs before cofounding the optical networking company, Tejas Networks, Bengaluru, in 2000. He is an elected fellow of IEEE, 2021. He is an elected Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering.

53. Somanath, S (b 30.07.1963), Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Bengaluru.

Dr S Somanath as the ISRO Chairman spearheaded the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the lunar surface along with other notable senior ISRO scientists. He is known for his contributions to launch vehicle design, particularly in the areas of launch vehicle systems engineering, structural design, structural dynamics, and pyrotechnics.

54. Sundaram, Balasubramanian (b 05.06.1966), PhD, Professor, Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru.

Dr S Balasubramanian for his innovative work on computational chemistry and supramolecular materials, especially for developing a novel force field for ionic liquids based on quantum density functional theory, enabling quantitative prediction of their physical properties.

55. Sur-Kolay, Susmita (b 16.07.1959), PhD, Professor (HAG), Advanced Computing and Microelectronics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.

Dr S Sur-Kolay for her outstanding and fundamental contributions to several areas including (a) electronic design automation, in particular, physical design automation of ICs and FPGAs, (b) IC security and protection, and (c) synthesis of quantum circuits.

56. Sureshan, Kana Meethaleveetil (b 14.10.1973), PhD, Professor and Dean, Infrastructure and Planning, School of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram.

Dr KM Sureshan, for his significant contributions in supramolecular chemistry and polymer science, especially, for the development of novel ‘topochemical azide-alkyne cycloaddition’ (TAAC) and ‘topochemical ene-azide cycloaddition’ (TEAC) reactions to synthesize diverse crystalline and topologically distinct polymers and their applications.

57. Suri, Ashish (b 08.04.1970), MBBS, MCh, Professor and Unit Head, Department of Neurosurgery, Neurosciences Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Prof. Ashish Suri is a neurosurgeon par excellence with a deep aptitude for innovation and passion for breaking barriers and looking for out-of-the-box solutions. While being on the faculty of a medical institution, he is also an adjunct professor at an IIT, and has undertaken collaborative work across distincts field to find solutions to important issues in the field of neurosciences. He has also mentored a several students in both neurosurgery and engineering fields becoming one of the very few to accomplish a balance of excellence in academics, research, and neurosurgery skill, while continuously and consistently pushing the horizons.

58. Suwas, Satyam (b 30.09.1969), PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Dr Suwas Satyam for his pioneering contributions to the fundamental understanding of the role of stacking fault energy on texture evolution in materials and, in turn, to the mechanical properties of materials, and for providing excellent scientific solutions to many of the engineering problems pertaining to the processing of various engineering materials for the defence, nuclear, and transportation sectors.

59. Talukdar, Pinaki (b 04.11.1975), PhD, Professor, Chemistry Department, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research-Pune, Pune.

Prof. P Talukdar has made significant contributions in the area of Chemical Biology. His group has pioneered developing artificial ion transporters and utilizing them to induce programmed cell death in cancer cells by disrupting ion homeostasis. His group has made ion transporters activated by multiple stimuli for selective targeting of cancer cells.

60. Umapathy, Siva (b 10.06.1959), PhD, Professor, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry and, Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Professor Siva Umapathy for his pioneering contributions towards the development of (Raman) spectroscopy tools to study chemical, biological, and materials science phenomena.

61. Vidya, TNC (b 05.08.1976), PhD, Professor, Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru.

Professor TNC Vidya has made original contributions in the sociobiology of Asian elephants comprising population genetic structuring, behavior and evolutionary aspects.